Stay Original Co celebrates record year of trading
Stay Original Co has grown its sales by 13.2% on a like-for like basis.
A south west pubs with rooms business is celebrating a record year, following sales of £12.4m across the group.
Stay Original Co, which trades from six historic freehold properties, grew its sales by 13.2% on a like-for like basis. Site EBITDA was in excess of £3m, up 39% on a similar basis.
This growth, the business says, was largely driven by higher footfall as the group continued to work on its service and competitive pricing strategy.
The six venues that make up Stay Original are The Swan at Wedmore (pictured), The Grosvenor Arms, The White Hart Somerton, At The Chapel, The King's Arms Dorchester and Timbrell's Yard.
Breaking down the sales
Food and beverage revenues in the period were strong, showing growth across the group of 16%, with a 26% jump in bakery sales as At The Chapel’s artisan bakery expanded via regular weekly pop-ups into other group properties.
Throughout the year the group invested in digital marketing, developing a strong online presence to strengthen the brand and maximise direct bookings, which are now over 85%.
Room sales for the second half of the current financial year are up 8% on the same period for last year on a like-for-like basis.
"I know 2024 was tough for many in the industry but there is some good news out there as well and many reasons to be cheerful for the future," Stay Original Co MD Rob Greacen told Pub & Bar.
"Since the year end, sales have continued to grow and Christmas trading was particularly strong with four of the six properties breaking their weekly sales record and group sales over the six week Christmas trading period up by 6% year-on-year. Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve both
generated almost identical sales and were the single largest trading days in the group’s history."
While no new acquisitions were made in the period, additional rooms were added, taking the total number of Stay Original rooms to 87. The business says it remains keen to expand, and further rooms and acquisitions are in the pipeline.
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